


METAL GEAR: CHRONICLES - Venom Snake

by Alan_Hawke



Series: Metal Gear: Chronicles [1]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Gen, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 00:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6173404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alan_Hawke/pseuds/Alan_Hawke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[ METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN & METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES spoilers ahead! ]</p>
<p>METAL GEAR: CHRONICLES are individual short stories about select characters after or in-between games. This one follows Venom Snake as he returns to Afghanistan to investigate a long-abandoned compound, only to find a certain somebody waiting for him...</p>
            </blockquote>





	METAL GEAR: CHRONICLES - Venom Snake

September 27th, 1985

Afghanistan

 

Venom Snake held on tightly to the ceiling railing as he overlooked the abandoned warehouse from the Aerial Command Center. He had the helicopter door open in order to have a more clear view of the building he was about to check out. “Boss, permission to land?” Pequod asked, his voice straining from shouting over the helicopter propellers. Venom looked over his shoulder and gave Pequod a nod, giving him confirmation to touch down on the desert surface.

 

Sand was swept up by the propellers of the helicopter as it kissed the desert surface. Pequod shouted as the helicopter landed, “I’ll keep the helicopter ready to go in case something happens. Watch yourself out there, Boss.” Venom acknowledged Pequod’s advice by loading his silenced AR-MRS 4 rifle with a full magazine. Venom stepped off the helicopter and onto the sand, already aiming down his gun’s red dot sight ready to fire at anyone who popped out at him.

 

He moved briskly toward the warehouse in an attempt to escape the desert sun beating down on him. The dark-colored stealth gear and the shrapnel in Venom’s skull didn’t help with the heat, this make it quite uncomfortable to be in desert environments. As he came close to the chain fence, he attached his rifle to his belt to allow both of his hands the freedom required to jump the fence. He then proceeded to climb over the fence in a quick, swift motion. Venom landed in a crouched position and moved silently to the front door of the long forgotten compound.

 

Venom picked the lock of the door within seconds and pushed it open, allowing the sunlight behind him to illuminate the immediate area inside. One of the first things he noticed was that the most of the windows were boarded up or covered with dust and sand, allowing only bits and pieces of sunlight into the building. He moved deeper into the building, eventually coming across a closed door.

 

He pressed his ear against the door and listened for anything that could be on the other side; as Venom was pulling away from the door, he heard the faint rolling of what sounded to be a tin can in the room. Without hesitation, Venom kicked down the door with all his might and pulled up his AR-MRS 4 to eye level for aiming at the source of the noise. A single bulb hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room, creating a circle of light underneath it.

 

His eyes darted all over the room, searching for ways the tin can could have fallen… Until he heard a footstep behind him. Venom quickly spun around, using his momentum to convert his turn into him swinging his rifle at his opponent--only for the stalker to dodge it effortlessly, take the rifle, and judo flip Venom onto his back. The stalker now stared down the barrel of the rifle, pointed at Venom’s head.

 

Venom couldn’t see his opponent’s face due to the light behind him, but he could make out that it was a male. This was confirmed when the stalker finally spoke, “Kept you waiting, huh?” Venom’s uncovered eye widened as the quote rung through his ears and quickly sat up, he wanted to speak but wasn’t sure what to say. The familiar stranger placed the rifle on a crate and extended his arm to help up Venom, “I’ve yet to get used to seeing my own face on somebody else.”

 

As Venom’s eyesight adjusted to the lighting, it was clear who this person was: Naked Snake A.K.A. Big Boss--the real Big Boss. The man Venom Snake had been hypnotized to believe he was since he had awoken from his nine year coma, a direct result of jumping in between Big Boss and a near-lethal explosion. Without Venom jumping in the way, there’s a high probability that Big Boss wouldn’t have survived that helicopter crash.

 

And what did he get in return? The face, memories, and burdens of Big Boss. The role was assigned to him without his consent, and had made him do unspeakable things. It was only a matter of time until Venom had found out of this, and when he did, the only explanation he got was a forty-five second cassette tape from Big Boss. Any other soldier who had previously served until Big Boss would have been ecstatic to see him… but Venom? Venom felt one thing… the one thing that caused Big Boss to create Venom as his phantom in the first place: Pain.

 

Venom clenched his fists as he took a deep breath, he could feel the rage in his chest. It was unlike any previous anger he had felt before, and he was present at the destruction of Mother Base. Big Boss noticed the clenching of Venom’s fists and looked at him sympathetically, “Have you been handling it well?”

 

Within a moment of Big Boss asking that, Venom Snake responded with a punch with his bionic arm directly at Big Boss’ jaw. The Boss stumbled back and clenched his jaw with his hand, “I… deserved that.” Venom couldn’t hold back any more of his rage, he had to express it… and now was that time. He did not speak much since the awakening from the hospital, as both PTSD and the shrapnel in his head both had taken tolls on him. But the rage took control of him, and Venom began to strain his vocal muscles in order to vent his anger.

 

“All of those years, I spent following you… serving for you… killing for you! I was your right hand man! I patched you up whenever you came back to base wounded! I even threw my life away to save you ten years ago!” Venom’s voice dripped with rage as he shouted, “And what did you do? What did the great Big Boss do?! Instead of letting me die for you--you went off into fucking hiding while I literally bled and killed with YOUR face stapled onto me!”

 

Venom’s clenched his right hand so hard his nails drew blood from his palms, “You brainwashed me into thinking I was you! You stripped me of my face, my memories, my identity, everything!!” Venom Snake then looked at the concrete floor, “I had kids, Boss. A family. I can’t ever see them again. Not like this… not like this monster you’ve forced me to become so you wouldn’t have to.” He made eye contact with Big Boss again, “My past isn’t even my past anymore! It’s yours! I try to think about my own foster mother… and do you know who’s face I see?” Venom took a step closer to Big Boss, now he was only a few inches away from his face.

 

“I see The Boss, damn it!”

 

Big Boss looked down in shame, “Venom, I-”

 

“My name is not Venom! My name is… my name is… is…”

 

Big Boss looked up solemnly, “You don’t remember, do you? ”

 

Venom trailed off, “I..”

 

“It was Len. Your name was Len.”

 

Venom was silent as he looked at Big Boss, his anger had suddenly left him. He stepped back from Big Boss from a brief second and just stared at him. Big Boss then continued…

 

“Your wife’s name was Fayeth. You were married for three years prior to the destruction of the original Mother Base ten years ago. You even allowed me to be the best man at your wedding believe it or not. I also remember you were a father of twins. One boy, one girl. Troy and Vera.”

 

“Vera… Troy… they would be thirteen now, right?”

 

Big Boss responded with a quiet nod.

 

“Does Fayeth know…? About… y’know…” Venom gestured to himself, “Me?”

 

“Kaz went to the States himself and told your family you were killed in action. That you had died for a good cause. Len died a hero.”

 

Venom sighed, “Then Len must remain dead for their sake. Big Boss must live on. Through Diamond Dogs. Through me.”

 

Big Boss placed his hand on Venom’s shoulder, which prompted Venom to look at Big Boss with a puzzled stare.

 

“Remember the soldiers that have died for you.” Big Boss said, speaking to his phantom. “But be sure to remember Len with this…”

 

Big Boss handed Venom Snake a picture of Fayeth, Troy & Vera. All of them were smiling into the camera as Fayeth had her arms wrapped around her two teenagers waists. "That photo was only taken a few months ago. 

 

A single tear streamed down from Venom’s cheek as he stared at the image with a hundred-yard stare. After several long seconds, Venom Snake finally looked up from the image. “Thank you.”

 

“They’re happy, Len.” Big Boss began to walk out of the room, “Maybe it’s time for you to be too.” The leather-jacket wearing man finally cracked a smile as he stopped at the doorway and looked back one last time at his phantom...

 

“Happy Birthday, Len.”

**Author's Note:**

> So at the end of METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES, the helicopter collides into another helicopter... Now I'm no expert when it comes to helicopter crashes but... um... HOW THE HELL DID KAZ (AND HIS GLASSES MIND YOU), BIG BOSS, AND THE MEDIC ALL SURVIVE THE CRASH? Now okay, the two helicopters collided and created an explosion and the trio survive--fair enough! But how did they survive the COLD OCEAN THEY CRASHED ABOVE? Like seriously how did only Chico die? I mean Chico dying made sense but wtf Kojima? I love you and this franchise's story to death man but like dude wtf? This is like a plot hole so huge Solidus Snake could fly his harrier through it. (That's a METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY reference for you non-nerds.) I'm sorry but if the explosion knocked BB and VS into a coma, they would have drowned. They wouldn't have floated to be found, they would have drowned. And Kaz could have only saved one of them IF HE GOT LUCKY AND WAS CONSCIOUS! But he was sitting right next to Chico so he should have been killed too! (Or at least incapacitated.) So what I want to know is this: How did those three survive long enough in the cold ocean miles away from the shore to be found by someone... and who found them?
> 
> *cue X-Files music*
> 
> Oh well, both parts of MGSV were still one (well two technically but that's like counting MGS2's tanker chapter as it's own game) kickass game. Tbh I thought it made sense why Venom didn't talk as much also. Venom probably has PTSD up the ass from waking up from a NINE YEAR COMA only to get strangled by (very very very beautiful <3 <3) woman, hunted by highly trained XOF (or Cipher? I was never sure on that part) agents, and a man on FUCKING FIRE attacking him within minutes of his awakening. Shiiiiit, I'd be silent like that too. He done seen some shit. Besides it's not like Naked or Solid talked much anyways in their games anyways. I mean in MGS3 Big Boss only said "What is the philosopher's legacy" to Volgin and nothing else to him and remained silent for the entire third arc of the game. However, Venom's silence during the jeep ride in Phantom Pain sorta erked me, even I would have said something. ANYTHING! -_-' Even just a "you're wrong" or a "...but why do to others what was done to you?!" 
> 
> But anyways, rants aside, this is easily in my top three behind METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS and METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY. Best gameplay, best attention to detail (except the bloody helicopter crash!), and this one easily has the most feels based on the small decisions you make throughout the game. (Whether or not to recruit D-DOG and whether or not he is killed in action; whether or not to recruit Quiet and experience her entire story arc; etc)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy your day. :) Carry on. ^_^


End file.
